Technology for making whiskey at home

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Surely there is no such alcoholic product that home craftsmen could not prepare in a handicraft way. Whiskey is one such type of liquor. Of course, the taste of "living water", as this drink is also called, is influenced by the place where it is made. However, according to experts, the technology for making whiskey in different countries is almost the same. You can make this alcoholic drink at home. You will learn about the technology of making whiskey at home from this article.

About line-up

Whisky production technology involves the use of the following basic ingredients:

• Sprouted grain. This component is also called m alt.
• Yeast.
• Water.

Whisky production technology allows the usecaramel or sugar. However, cheap varieties are mainly filled with these components. Various flavors, dyes and other chemical additives in the process of making whiskey are not used.

M alt processing

Before you start producing "living water" at home, you should familiarize yourself with the technology of making whiskey in Scotland, which is the birthplace of this spirit. In this country, according to experts, technologists use pure barley. In the United States, the technology for making whiskey is somewhat different. For example, the composition is represented by grain mixtures, of which 51% is corn, and the rest is rye, barley, rice and other cereals. At this stage, the m alt is taken out of the water and sent to special chambers for drying. In Scotland, namely on the Isle of Islay, bog peat is burned, and m alt is treated with smoke itself. As a result, the whiskey is obtained with a characteristic "smoked" taste and smoky aroma.

About wort preparation

Dry m alt cleaned from impurities is sent for testing. Measure its infestation with parasites and the level of humidity. Further, after checking, flour is made from the germinated and dried grain, which is mixed with water. This process is called mashing. This grinding is then heated in a special wort kettle. Whiskey production technology involves brewing in several temperature conditions. To form a homogeneous mass, maintain a temperature of 38 to 40 degrees. At 55 degrees, the protein is broken down, at 72 degrees, starch is saccharified, at 78 - the formation of the finalsugary substances.

About fermentation

Special alcohol yeast is added to the wort contained in wooden or steel vats. The fermentation procedure itself lasts three days at 37 degrees. In this case, active reproduction of yeast occurs. At first they will feed on oxygen, and when it runs out, sugar will be split. The mash that has won back goes through double or triple distillation in a copper distillation cube - alambika. Copper removes the sulphurous taste from alcohol and creates conditions for chemical reactions, after which the Scotch whiskey has vanilla, chocolate and nutty notes.

Stainless steel alambicas can also be used. The first distillation gives a 30-degree product. Whiskey with a strength of 70 degrees is obtained after re-distillation. This parameter is reduced to 60 degrees using soft spring water. Some distilleries use hard water, which contains various trace elements. As a result, whiskey is obtained with a characteristic mineral flavor.

About shutter speed

Oak barrels are provided for the content of whiskey, in which sherry was previously stored. Cheap varieties are aged in bourbon containers. On average, whiskey in Scotland is aged for 5 years. There are also varieties that have been in barrels for several decades. According to experts, the longer the term, the higher the price of alcohol.

About handicraft production

Scottish whiskey making is similarfor moonshine. The only difference is that there is one additional procedure that lasts for six months. It consists in insisting on oak wood. If you are not satisfied with this kind of making homemade whiskey and you want to make an alcoholic drink faster, then you can use the following recipe. Its essence lies in the fact that alcohol is diluted to a 50-degree fortress, and then insisted in oak barrels for only 10 days. This recipe for making whiskey does not exclude the filtration procedure. It is mainly resorted to if the taste of the alcoholic product is not satisfactory.

Where to start?

The technology of making whiskey at home includes several stages. At the very beginning, you need to prepare sawdust. They should be poured with boiling water and in this form they should stand for an hour. Then the broth is drained, and the sawdust is treated with cold water. After a day, the water is removed, and the wood is left in the sun to dry.

Ingredients

Those who are going to make whiskey at home should get the following components:

• Barley m alt. It needs 8 kg.
• 32 liters of well-filtered or spring water. Experts do not recommend using boiled water.
• 300g pressed yeast. If these were not at hand, dry ones (50 g) will also do.

Barley is used to make the highest quality single m alt whisky. According to experts, you can also do the preparation of two and three-component alcoholicdrinks.

This requires different types of m alt. Good whiskey is made from barley, rye, corn and wheat m alt.

First step

First you need to crush the m alt so that it is in the form of grits. Small particles of peel can be left. At this stage, your task is simply to break the grains into several small pieces. It is important not to overdo it, otherwise the m alt will turn into flour. For a beginner, it is best to get ground m alt.

Next, in a large metal container, you need to heat the water to 70 degrees. Cooked cereals are then poured into this vessel and mixed with a wooden mallet or stick. If everything is done correctly, you will get a homogeneous mixture without lumps.

After that, the wort is again put on fire and brought to 65 degrees. In order to maintain a stable temperature inside the container, the container should be tightly closed. They warm it for an hour and a half. During this time, the mixture was stirred every 15 minutes. At the very end, the upper part of the wort will become light, and the thick will settle to the bottom. Heating is necessary to start the saccharification process. Its essence lies in the fact that starch is broken down into dextrins (soluble substances) and sugar. Already during fermentation, sugar will be processed by yeast into alcohol. According to experts, the saccharification procedure is possible only at a temperature of 61 to 72 degrees. If the temperature indicator goes beyond these limits, then the process will stop and you will not be able to resume it.

When the wortheated to the desired temperature, it is cooled in cold water to 25 degrees. This must be done quickly to prevent the multiplication of foreign organisms in the nutrient medium, which can lead to sourness of the product.

Working with yeast

This ingredient must be diluted following the instructions on the package. Now you need a fermentation tank, which is filled with chilled wort, seasoned with yeast and mixed. This vessel must be equipped with a water seal and left in a dark room with a temperature not higher than 25 and not lower than 18 degrees. Fermentation lasts from 3 to 14 days. It all depends on the quality of the raw material and the air temperature in the room.

Daily, the water seal is removed, and the mash is mixed with a wooden stick. Of course, this can also be done with clean hands. If you see that the water seal has not bubbled for a couple of days, and the wort has become lighter, then taste it. If done correctly, the wort will be bitter and without sweetness.

About distillation

At this stage, the mash is poured through a colander into a distillation cube. It is necessary to use a colander in order to easily separate the part of the m alt that has not dissolved in the form of pellets. If everything is left as it is, then during the distillation, these pellets will burn, causing the whiskey to taste bitter.

Further, the resulting mash is distilled on a moonshine still. As a result, you will get 6 liters of 40-degree barley moonshine. During the first distillation, the yield does not need to be divided into tails, heads, and body fractions. Now you should measure the strength of the product, as well asthe amount of alcohol in it. The resulting distillate is diluted with water (up to 20%) and re-distilled.

The first 12% alcohol obtained at the output is called “heads”, they are fractions with harmful substances. This amount of product should be drained into a separate vessel. If this recommendation is neglected, then homemade whiskey will have an unpleasant taste. In addition, you risk harming your he alth. The main fraction is assembled, which is called the “body” among moonshiners. On average, you should get about 3-4 liters.

If you want a high quality distillate, you can use a third distillation. In this case, at the exit from the “body”, you drain 3% of the products. Judging by the numerous reviews, the third distillation is very rarely used due to its laboriousness.

Insisting

Now grain moonshine should be infused on oak wood. This can be done in two ways. Some masters acquire an oak barrel, which is filled with distillate. Alcohol is aged in the basement for six months. The second method involves the use of oak pegs.

According to experts, the first method is considered the best. However, it is rarely used. The easiest way to work with oak pegs. It is desirable that they be 350 mm in diameter and made of 50-year-old oak. Experts do not recommend using bark, sawdust and shavings, since the tannins present in large quantities will make the whiskey taste tougher.

You need to insist the distillate injars or other glass containers. Already treated with boiling water and cold water, and then dried in the sun, oak pegs are laid so that they fit completely in the vessel. On average, there are up to 15 pieces per vessel. Now distillate is poured into each container and tightly closed with a lid. In this form, the vessel should stand in the basement for at least six months. If the exposure is longer, the homemade whiskey will turn out with improved taste.

Filtering

After six months or 12 months, cans of alcohol are taken out of the cellar and filtered. Do this with gauze filters. After that, the whiskey is bottled and sealed tightly for better storage. There are several more recipes for making whiskey at home, more on which below.

First way

This technology is the production of whiskey from homemade moonshine. To work, you will need the following ingredients:

• Moonshine with a strength of 45 degrees. It will take 3 liters.
• Three tablespoons of oak bark.
• Charcoal (50 g).
• Prunes or dried apricots (up to 10 berries).

Oak bark can be bought at a pharmacy. Judging by the reviews, many home craftsmen make their own charcoal from fruit trees, oak or birch.

Progress of work

If you think moonshine is too strong, then dilute it to 45 degrees. Directly whiskey is not diluted, as this will adversely affect its taste and aromatic properties. Next, you need to grind the charcoal into dust. Thenthe oak bark is steamed: first, the wood will stand in boiling water for 10 minutes, and then in cold water for 15 minutes. After the bark is dried. A pre-prepared container is filled with already processed wood, dried apricots (or prunes) and pounded charcoal.

Next, the vessel is filled with moonshine and tightly closed. Alcohol is aged in a dark and cool place for two weeks. After this period, the jar is opened and the whiskey is tasted. At the very end, alcohol is filtered through a cotton-gauze filter.

Second option

Making whiskey from moonshine at home in this way is a more time-consuming process. The essence of the method is to imitate the aging of the distillate in an oak barrel. First, several small pieces are cut from oak slats or boards. Then they are wrapped in foil and placed in the oven for frying. It is important that no open areas remain on the wood. Otherwise, you will smoke the room a lot, which you will then ventilate for several days.

The roasting procedure will take you no more than three hours. The temperature can be very different. It all depends on what flavor you want to give the whiskey. For example, when roasting bars at 120 degrees, the final alcoholic product will have a light aroma, 150 - more pronounced. At 250 degrees, the drink will turn out with vanilla smoky notes, 270 - with the taste of almonds.

There are three pieces per three-liter jar. A vessel with wood inside is filled with distillate and tightly closed. Now moonshine should be infused in the darkcool place. You can filter alcohol after four months.